title: MAEWEST expression in flower development of two petunia species.
abstract: Changes in flower morphology may influence the frequency and specificity of animal visitors. In Petunia (Solanaceae), adaptation to different pollinators is one of the factors leading to species diversification within the genus. This study provides evidence that differential expression patterns of MAWEWEST (MAW) homologs in different Petunia species may be associated with adaptive changes in floral morphology. The Petunia × hybrida MAW gene belongs to the WOX (WUSCHEL-related homeobox) transcription factor family and has been identified as a controller of petal fusion during corolla formation. We analyzed the expression patterns of P. inflata and P. axillaris MAW orthologs (PiMAW and PaMAW, respectively) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and in situ hybridization in different tissues and different developmental stages of flowers in both species. The spatial expression patterns of PiMAW and PaMAW were similar in P. inflata and P. axillaris. Nevertheless, PaMAW expression level in P. axillaris was higher during the late bud development stage as compared to PiMAW in P. inflata. This work represents an expansion of petunia developmental research to wild accessions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, P.O. Box 15053, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. loreta.freitas@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia A
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Segatto
authors.forename: Andreia Carina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Turchetto-Zolet
authors.forename: Lilian Cristina B
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Aizza
authors.forename: Carolina C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Monte-Bello
authors.forename: Marcelo C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dornelas
authors.forename: Rogerio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Margis
authors.forename: Loreta B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Freitas
mesh_terms: D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000502:physiology*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D032306:Petunia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins